Taupo¯ confirms M¯aori wards for next two elections
Five months after its original decision to introduce Ma¯ ori wards, the Taupo¯ District Council has confirmed the resolution.
While the 10 to two ‘yes’ vote at Tuesday’s full council meeting was more definite than the 7-3 split on November 23 last year, one dissenting councillor raised the spectre of tokenism.
The process leading up to the confirmation has not been without controversy and includes the government removing the requirement for a council to hold a binding poll on Ma¯ ori wards if petitioned by five per cent of electors, and one councillor, John Boddy, upsetting some residents by gathering petition signatures on Waitangi Day. That local petition, supported by Hobson’s Choice, gathered the 1241 signatures required, but the TDC replaced the rescinded poll with other engagement in March and early April. This had garnered 101 responses, noted senior policy adviser Sue Mavor. Councillors were quick to point out that this feedback, and earlier opinions from iwi and Maori organisations had been carefully considered.
Kevin Taylor, absent from the November meeting, acknowledged submissions both for and against. He had read them all, he said, along with a legal opinion on council decisionmaking ‘‘and for the record I am in favour of the resolution.’’ He was closely followed by John Williamson, who said views that Maori wards were separatism or undemocratic came from misunderstanding or misinformation.
Kathy Guy said she expected Maori to not just be included but ‘‘be at the forefront of every decision,’’ while Anna Park welcomed the ‘‘surety of diversity’’.
Christine Rankin, also absent when the original decision was made, reiterated her opposition to wards, likening them to quotas or tokenism.
Kirsty Trueman and Tangonui Kingi hinted at the lack of unanimity; Trueman stating ‘‘key people at this table see the key benefits, see the value and want it to happen.’’
Kingi said it was a responsibility of elected members to help communities understand ‘‘because some of their positions are borne out of fear, out of assumptions . . . so a part of us having the courage to move in this direction and to set a course and to encourage our community to be part of it makes sense.’’